PASSENGERS in a pirate taxi from the Bulawayo city centre to Emganwini suburb yesterday savagely pummelled a lone gunman suspected to be behind a spate of armed robberies that have rocked the city in the last two months, after he allegedly tried to rob them and hijack the taxi in which he was also a passenger.

Nhlanhla Mhlanga (49) boarded a Toyota Wish heading to Emganwini from the city centre but turned against other passengers and the driver when they reached Nketa 9 suburb.

Mhlanga allegedly ordered the driver to stop the car on the pretext that he was disembarking.

As the driver stopped, he allegedly produced a pistol and began assaulting passengers and demanding that they surrender their possessions.
Police sources said Mhlanga is suspected to have robbed a number of people beginning in June this year.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi yesterday confirmed Mhlanga’s arrest and said he has been charged with armed robbery as police conduct further investigations on him.

“We have arrested a male suspect Nhlanhla Mhlanga (49) who boarded a pirate taxi between 10th and 11th Avenue along Herbert Chitepo Street in Bulawayo. The vehicle was heading towards Emganwini. It is alleged that upon reaching Nketa 9, the accused ordered the driver to stop the car as he was disembarking. He then produced a pistol and started attacking the three complainants and later turned to the owner of the car ordering him to surrender his car keys,” he said.State media